Finding a good romantic comedy is like finding a diamond in the rough. It's difficult and rare, which is why fans of the genre will be happy to know that there are plenty of underrated rom-coms on Netflix you can watch right now — no waiting or searching necessary. Everyone knows the classic romantic comedies, like When Harry Met Sally or Hope Floats, but not everyone knows the lesser known rom-coms available on the site that are just as funny and just as swoon-worthy.
What makes underrated romantic comedies so great is that a lot of the times they're not your traditional rom-coms. Many underrated films put a twist on the usual narrative of girl meets boy, boy and girl embarrass themselves to the audience's delight, boy loses girl, boy wins girl back. Sometimes that means adding in a wacky, R-rated element. Other times it means starting the rom-com in the middle. Granted, not all underrated romantic comedies play with the genre formula. Sadly, sometimes movies just get lost in the shuffle, and that's where Netflix comes in to save the day. The patron saint of forgotten films, the site has swooped in with these 19 underrated romantic comedies you can watch right now.
1'Man Up'
Lake Bell and Simon Pegg star in Man Up, an untethered rom-com about a woman who steals another woman's blind date, and ends up with more than she bargained for.
2'A Royal Night Out'
Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret get a rare night off to celebrate the end of WWII in this inspired by true events story of young love. Period rom-com FTW.
3'Larry Crowne'
Rom-com legend Tom Hanks directed Larry Crowne, a movie that put him opposite fellow romantic comedy icon Julia Roberts. (Seriously, why have you not seen this movie yet?)
4'Beauty & The Briefcase'
Beauty & the Briefcase is a delightful TV movie starring Hilary Duff as a writer who goes undercover in search of an office romance. Think How to Lose a Guy In 10 Days, but a little less sexy and a little more empowering.
5'I Hate Valentine's Day'
My Big Fat Greek Wedding's Nia Vardalos and John Corbett fall in love again in I Hate Valentine's Day, a classic rom-com story disguised in an anti-love wrapping.
6'Leap Year'
Leap Year embraces the opposites attract rom-com trope and stars Amy Adams and Matthew Goode. So, really, you can't go wrong.
7'2 Days In New York'
2 Days in New York skips the whole falling in love story and goes straight for the disastrous family meeting. The movie is arguably more of a comedy with romance than a romantic comedy, but that just makes it even better.
8'Someone Like You'
OK, Someone Like You might not be the most underrated rom-com, but for those of you too young to see the movie when it was released in 2001, now is the perfect time to disappear into the Hugh Jackman-Ashley Judd love story. (Bonus: Tony Goldwyn, aka Fitz on Scandal, directed.)
10'Life Partners'
Two BFFs fall in and out of love in Life Partners, a deceptively funny friendship-focused rom-com.
11'Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World'
Yes, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World literally takes place at the end of the world, but that doesn't mean it isn't funny and romantic.
12'Frances Ha'
Frances Ha is probably more of a coming-of-age movie than a romantic comedy, but adventures of the "undateable" Frances are definitely rom-com worthy.
13'Slow Learners'
Two friends decide they want to be more adventurous when it comes to sex, and, well, the results are hilariously mixed.
14'Desk Set'
One of the more underrated rom-coms starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, Desk Set is about two colleagues who bicker and butt heads when the department gets a new super computer system. (Come for the romance, stay for the laughably old school technology.)
15'Peace, Love & Misunderstanding'
Don't dismiss Peace, Love & Misunderstanding as your run-of-the-mill inter-generational romantic comedy/drama. This one stars Catherine Keener, Jane Fonda, and Elizabeth Olsen, which makes it immediately better than all the rest.
16'Today's Special'
Aasif Mandvi stars in this culture clash rom-com about a chef who is forced to take over his family's Indian restaurant even though he's determined not to cook Indian food.
17'Happy Christmas'
Happy Christmas is a rom-com dramedy about dysfunctional family relationships and awkwardly stunted adulthood. Definitely one not to miss if you like director Joe Swanberg's other hit, Drinking Buddies.
18'Night Owls'
A drunk one night stand turns into a drunk babysitting gig from hell in this twisted comedy. Night Owls is not for the faint of heart.
19'Playing It Cool'
Playing it Cool stars Chris Evans and, really, that's all I need to know.
Now that you know what you've been missing, it's time to grab a glass of wine and some sugary snacks and rom-com the night away.
